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Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Walking up Grains Gill from Seathwaite under leaden skies and a damp and
clinging mist, I had little enthusiasm for a camp on Great End and in zero
visibility after only a couple of hours sleep I had even less for photography.

Just after sunrise that all changed and I found myself bathed in warm
sunshine as the stubborn clag sank back into the valleys. It's strange how the
mood lightens with every footfall as you step out of the clag and into the
sunlight. It was clear I should have stayed higher up on the summit of Great End
itself, but despite the missed opportunity for a sunrise up here, I was more
than happy with the views.

Esk Pike and Bow Fell From Great End

At this time of the morning I did wonder if I was the only
person to be enjoying this view, but later in the afternoon as I descended into
the valley I got chatting to Mark Richards (Lakeland Fellranger) who was heading
up to Meet Terry Abraham. Terry he told me was actually filming scenes for
"Scafell Pike - Life of a Mountain" on Esk Pike this morning. I would have given
him a wave if I had known.

Next I headed across to Scafell Pike, enjoying
some wonderful views along the way.

The View South From the Lower Slopes of Great End
Towards Broad Crag Ill Crag and Scafell Pike.

Enjoying the View North from the Summit of Scafell
towards Broad Crag and Ill Crag.

As it was only the highest
mountains that were free of cloud, instead of heading across to Lingmell as
originally planned, I decided to stay up high and head back across to Great End
and perhaps make my way around to the only other close hills sticking out of the
cloud, Esk Pike and Bow Fell to camp there.

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

The first job this morning was to get a brew on and then as we had a river
crossing to start the day, repair Moira's river crossing sandals which despite,
or perhaps more accurately, because they had provided years of service, had
fallen apart at the first river. I had gaffa taped them up but a more permanent
repair was needed. Necessity is the mother of invention and with a hot tent peg
and some spare laces I soon had them repaired.

Refreshed after
a good nights sleep, but conscious of the fact we had another long day ahead we
set of early and soon reached the col at the head of the valley where the
Strutor hut lay.

The col below the mountain of Stutor. The hut is
at the end of this valley

Half an hour later we reached the hut
which was a hive of activity with organised groups, mountain bikers and off road
drivers all getting ready for a day in the mountains. This included one complete
idiot who stood pissing in the stream despite the fact there was a proper toilet
located just yards away.

Note pic qual poor as it is a 100% crop

The Strutor mountain hut

The hut
warden turned out to be a very sociable chap and with coffee in hand was
wandering around chatting to everyone. We ended up having a good old natter with
him about our planned route and he very helpfully gave us some info that would
keep us on the northern edge of the Myrdalssandur desert rather than the route
we had planned across the centre. This would give us a 22 km day with some more
ups and downs, but it did knock off some 6km and a lot of 4x4 track walking. We
had a bit of trouble understanding his directions, but eventually worked out
that basically we needed to keep the mountains on our right and pass through two
low cols. If the weather and visibility deteriorated we should drop back onto
the plain. This interpretation it turned out was spot on, his estimated time of
6.5 hours however was way out - even allowing for lots of stops to stand and
stare at the views, or to try and capture it in pixel form.

The view south from the hut

We made
our payment for using the facilities and were soon heading east across the grain
of the land towards Hrutagill, a wide valley black with volcanic ash and
criss-crossed with several small streams. These streams drained an area called
Strutsoldur and Svartaklof on the map. Despite the violent volcanic past, nature
was busy healing the scars and in places small colonies of dwarf willow and
various plants such as saxifrage grew. There was no real path here and as the
wind blew and the sun beat down it felt really wild and exposed - in fact
exactly what we had come for.

Dwarf Willow

Fortunately at the moment
we were walking on the edge of the ash plain where the snowfields drained so the
ash was damp, but looking out over the black Myrdalssandur desert we could see
dust storms streaming east. We have experienced these before and knew we would
end up walking through them later on. It wasn't a pleasant prospect.

Leaving Hrutagill behind we found some footprints and a vague track that
led us across a mossy area and onto a gentle moss and grass covered hill with
good views of the Myrdasjokull glacier under which the mighty Katla volcano
simmers.

Heading towards the
Myrdalssandur

Dropping down the other side we entered the flat plain
again. Ahead we could see it was dotted here and there with small green
hillocks, the only sign of life in that direction for miles.

It feels pretty wild and exposed

This
part of the Myrdalssandur also had lots of snow patches on its northern side and
was criss-crossed with small streams. Here the ash was waterlogged and at times
was more like quicksand, making it difficult to get into any kind of walking
rhythm, especially so when we had to retrace our steps and find a better route.
Weaving our way through this we eventually came to an area where all the streams
combined to create a small river.

Expecting another freezing cold and
painful crossing experience, we were pleasantly surprised to be wading through
warm water and a strange mud like volcanic sludge. I can only assume as there
weren't any hot springs nearby, the black volcanic landscape had absorbed the
heat of the sun and had warmed the water.

Leaving the river behind we
headed out over the increasing dusty and barren plain towards the mountain of
Hvanngilshausar, where sometime later we spotted a small rocky outcrop with a
moss lined stream running alongside it and stopped for lunch. It has to be said
that while the stream was pleasant and very useful for cooling the drinks there
was no shade whatsoever. On the other hand despite the heat there was nowhere
better for miles so it was as good a place as any to get the backpacks off and
take the weight off the feet.

No trees for shade but plenty of fresh water.

The
lack of shade was more than made up for by the setting and we had good views
north towards a range of mountains that in contrast to the black mountains and
plains to the south of us, were full of colour and life.

The view north

South lay the Myrdalssandur desert

This
stream also marked the edge of the dry area and it would be the last place we
would be among the greenery for a few hours. The route would now take us
southeast across the desert proper to try and pick up the F210 4x4 dirt road.
This in turn would eventually lead us to the footbridge over the Kaldaklofskvisl
River where we would join the Laugavegur trail.

We were aiming for the Kaldaklofskvisl
River

It all sounds very simple and straightforward but the river was
at least a couple of hours away and in between lay a moon like landscape covered
in fine volcanic ash, boulders and smaller ankle breaker stones. In the
afternoon heat this section turned into a bit of a slog, especially so when the
dust storms finally caught up with us and we went the wrong way around a small
hill.

Moonscape and dust storm

Getting closer

This mini deviation
ended in a blind alley where a flood had scoured a jagged channel seventy-five
metres wide and in places several metres deep. Footprints in the still drying
mud indicated we were not the only ones to end up of course. As impressive as it
was, at this stage in the day, it was a diversion we could have done
without.

Eventually feeling a bit frazzled and weary we reached the 4x4
track. Here the walking was much easier and the bridge over the Kaldaklofskvisl
River soon came into view.

Foot traffic only

This bridge is only
for pedestrians and while grabbing a much needed rest on the other side we
watched a 4x4 vehicle negotiate the crossing point. I was certainly glad we did
not have to wade this particular river.

Despite having walked across the
plains the days exertions were not quite over. It was tempting to camp at the
Hvanngil hut a couple of kilometres away, but instead we pushed on towards the
camping area next to the Alftavatn hut. It made for a longer day, but meant the
next two days would be much shorter.

It was a lot further than I
recalled from our previous trek and two more river crossings awaited us.
Eventually we reached the lake and despite being dusty, tired and footsore it
was still possible to appreciate the views.

A wonderful sunset to end this part of the
walk

Incidentally, I think if I was to do this route again I
would certainly do as we originally planned and walk the route over three days,
starting with a short 6 to 7 km afternoon walk from Holaskjol to the area near
the hut at Aftavotn and then on day two camp at, or near, the Strutor hut. Day
three would be similar to today. It would have given us more time to enjoy the
scenery and would certainly be less tiring.

We weren't complaining
though and had thoroughly enjoyed what we had done so far.

Friday, 6 September 2013

While daytime temperatures still have the feel of summer, early mornings
definitely have a hint of autumn about them. This was certainly the case
yesterday morning as I sat in my bivy bag waiting for the sun to rise above
Haweswater in the Lake District.

I would have liked to have climbed
higher up the ridge, but with cloud boiling over the tops of High Street and the
surrounding fells, it would have been pointless. Instead accompanied by the
raucous call of Ravens I stayed relatively low and enjoyed the spectacle of
clouds racing across the cliffs above Blea Water and dissipating as they hit the
colder air to the north.

The view towards the Gatescarth Pass and Adam Seat
was even more atmospheric

About David

This blog is to share some of my outdoor experiences from the dark side of the lens.
On here you will find a mix of images from my personal and commercial image collections, as well as articles, gear reviews, news and general outdoor related content. My intention is simply to highlight the beauty and diversity of the natural world and to attempt to portray a little of what it means to me.
If you would like to see more of my work please visit my photography website: http://www.bluestoneimages.com/